Payment of Debts

Thou shalt do no injustice to thy neighbour.

1. THOU shalt pay what thou owest: thou shalt not refuse it: and if thou refuse, the Judge or the Elder shall send a Deacon, and he shall take of thy substance, and pay him whom thou owest.37 words,144 letters.

2. If thy neighbour oweth thee, and is poor, thou shalt have compassion on him, and shalt not oppress him; but if he will not pay thee, or if he trespass on thee, or do thee wrong, thou shalt admonish him; if he hear thee not, thou shalt take with thee one or two neighbours, and shalt labour faithfully with him to do thee justice: if he will not hear them, thou shalt lay thy testimonies at the judgmentseat, and the Elder or Judge who judgeth, shall hear thee and him also; and he shall judge between thee and thy neighbour: and whosoever will not hear him, he shall send the Deacon to execute his judgment. 115 words,475 letters.

3. But if thy neighbour seek to defraud thee, or to do thee violence, or if he have

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done thee violence, thou mayest bring the matter to the judgmentseat before thou admonish him: the Elder or the Judge shall judge between thee and him.43 words,185 letters.

4. If thy neighbour hath not the very thing to pay thee that he promised, and be poor, thou shalt have compassion on him, and shalt take what he hath; but thou shalt not make him quite naked. 37 words,147 letters.

6. Thou shalt not defraud the labourer of his hire: thou shalt not keep his wages till the darkness, lest he return not to his home, and his children have no bread; and their cry ascend to God against thee: if he testify to thee that they lack nothing, then shall he wait on thee, as thou shalt agree.58 words,233 letters.Total—6 sec., 329 words, 1,349 letters.Grand total—47 ch., 332 sec., 16,895 words, 71,540 letters.

The object of the Law is not so much to collect debts of the poor; for if honest, they will pay willingly as fast as they are able; and if dishonest, ought not to be trusted; but of the rich, whom others trust of necessity, and do not always find honest; also, to redress frauds and trespasses.